Group buy on AKG Stage II shifter

#1

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=24116079#post24116079

As much as a cheapskate as I am, I’m going to buy one of these. AKG and BW are both selling a shifter that instead of using a shift carrier, bolts right on to the sheetmetal of the trans tunnel. This means no bushings at all so zero slop.

There’s a thread in the bf.c track forum re. the charms of this type of shifter and the relative merits of the AKG vs. BW models. I’ll see if I can’t find the thread.

If you are thinking about a short shifter or replacing soft OEM shift linkage bushings (be they new or used they’re still soft), then you should do this instead.

#2

Hopefully it’ll work better for you than it did for me.

We had one of these in the GSS West car for a couple years. I drove that car at Nationals and didn’t get along with it very well.

It has since been removed and replaced with an OEM style shifter.

Matt

#3

I’d be very interested in more details before I throw my money down.

#4

I have just installed the AKG shifter in my SE30 and it has one event under it’s belt. I LOVE IT. Takes some getting used to, but I came up to speed pretty fast. Kish has one also and he reports a similar experience. For anyone interested, I am running the AKG 75D engine mounts and trans mounts. I had zero issues with it staying in gear or with gear selection. I spoke to AKG directly and they recommend the hard bushings on motor and trans with pass through bolts.
WELL worth the $325 in my opinion. I came from the Z3 1.9 setup which was pretty short and notchy, this takes it to a whole new level.

#5

Here’s the thread that talks about this kind of shifter. Everyone seems to like them a lot. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1610280&highlight=akg

#6

If this means I won’t miss 2nd on standing starts, I’m in.

#7

Any reviews on these? I tend to granny-shift for fear of moneyshifts (it’s saved my cookies more than a couple times). I’d love to find something that is very accurate that I can fly through the gears with confidence.

#8

The AKG or AutoSolutions race shifters are as precise as I’ve seen.I would not really call either a short shifter and in my opinion a short shifter isn’t really what you want. Precision and no slop in the shifter is what’s needed and either of those satisfy that requirement.

#9

Thanks

#10

If you give me all the parts involved I might have time to make you some interference fit bushings out of delrin over the winter.

#11

Forgive my ignorance–whatchu talkin about Willis?

#12

If you want precision you’ll let me do it. http://spece30.com/forum/48-drivetrain/61870-shifters?limit=10&start=30#63827

#13

So are you talking about working with the stuff I already have, or modifying the new stuf from AKG.

#14

Looking at a shifter upgrade while I have everything apart. Jeff, when you say the AKG “takes it to a whole new level” from your Z3 1.9 which was notchy, I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or a bad. I was looking at the 1.9 update along with new bushings but this just basically shortens the throws. Which Jim indicates is not what I should be shooting for.

#15

AKG is NOT a short shifter and the throws are VERY precise. I had a chance to feel this in Kish’s car, not on track, just in the paddock and it is quite the incredible feel. Was about to make the investment last year, but I do okay with my current setup. B)

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFV7O75gcS4[/video]

#16

Nice start! I wasn’t necessarily suggesting that the AKG unit was only a short shifter, but at the end of the day everything in the tower exists only to twist and translate the shift rod on the tranny. And the only real adjustments that you can make are to the lever arm ratio that does the twisting and translating and elimination of other extraneous movements (soft and broken bushings). The AKG looks like it works well because it eliminates most of the compliance points in the system. I would expect, but defer to those experienced, that any combination of replacement low or zero compliance bushings along with a better shift lever ratio should provide better shift performance and feel. I’ve got delrin bushings on order and am thinking about the Z3 lever. I don’t think the bushing kit replaces the rubber in the back of the console, so I’ll have to sort something out for that. But it seems like this combination ought to also provide a good precise feel and shorter throws. Is my logic wrong?

#17

Will this setup work if I have the harmonic balancer on my driveshaft?

#18

Why do you still have the harmonic balancer on the drive shaft? Take it off.

#19

I guess Ill just take it off when I get that shifter setup haha

#20

That is a good plan. While you can change the shifter with the forward end of the drive shaft mounted, it is an easier job with that disconnected. Unless recently changed, have a new guibo on hand.

Oh yeah, disconnecting the transmission cross member and allowing the rear of the transmission to droop gives better access to the “bitch clip”.